[Lupine]

I recently purchased my first shotgun--the 18" bbl Express Magnum 870. I took it out last weekend, and other than some stiffness, it worked fairly smoothly.

Yesterday I took it out, ran four rounds through it, and then set it up for a newbie friend to try out. It immediately froze up.

A shotgun savvy friend (at least more so than I) at the shoot took off the barrel and carefully dislodged the shell--it had been fired, but the extractor had apparently gotten stuck. We examined the latter and didn't find any burs.

What I need to know is a): should I disassemble the magazine (which has 3 rounds in it) and remove the mags, is that safe, or should I take it to the gunshop where I bought it?

b) since it's been under 30 days, can I return the gun for another 870, or is this just a common "burp" in the break-in process?

Thanks...

[spacemanspiff]

any details on the type of shells? size? magnum?

my winchester 1300 has recently decided it doesnt like to eject magnum buckshot. takes quite a bit of force to work the action and eject the empty.

it likes the wussy loads though.

[Lupine]

Federal Champion 7 1/2 shot, 1 1/8 oz, 3 dram, 2 3/4 inch. Nothing too spectacular.

[Nippy]

I have a friend that bought a 870 express not too long ago and had the same problem. It was the Federal ammo that wouldn't eject so he went and exchanged it. It still has problem with Federal ammo but not as reoccuring ( it runs fine with Winchester ammo). I think there is something about the recent Federal ammo and new 870's that doesn't quite jive.

You might try the Winchester ammo and see how it runs.

[9mmMike]

Sounds like a rough chamber. I would chuck up some 000 wool on a dowel and make that chamber shine like glass. Of course I am no smith........
Mike

[Dave McCracken]

First try other ammo, see if it repeats the glitch. If so, polish the chamber as Mike described. If still a problem, call Remington at 800-243-9700....

[Duke of Lawnchair]

I have a friend that bought a 870 express not too long ago and had the same problem. It was the Federal ammo that wouldn't eject so he went and exchanged it. It still has problem with Federal ammo but not as reoccuring ( it runs fine with Winchester ammo). I think there is something about the recent Federal ammo and new 870's that doesn't quite jive.

Remember that our friend had difficulties to extract with ALL the ammunition that we fed it that day.

From WalMart:
Winchester (value pak)
Remington (value pak)
Federal (value pak)

His shotgun also had extraction problems with the Federal Low-Recoil Buck, althought not as frequent.

Lupine, I recommend that you take it to the shop where you purchased it from if you're not inclined to smooth out the chamber yourself. That is, if different ammunition doesn't jive with your 870. You paid good money for your scattergun, let it work for you. That's what a warranty is for, and if your local shop is super-groovy they might actually replace the gun for you. Our local Big5 helped our friend out by trading in his Express for a new model.

-Jim

[Lupine]

Thankis, guys. I'm going to have a friend who is savvier than I and who's spent a lot of time futzing with guns look at it tonight. I'll bring up your suggestions, and we'll decide if we should try and take it back. I'm thinking the store where I bought it (less than two weeks ago) will work with me should I decide to return it. They know I'm a junkie and that I have many other local options for my next "fix."

By the way, the first time I used it, I was using a different brand. Haven't tried the lighter loads yet.

M

[Joe Mamma]

I think that is a known problem with those guns (recent 870 Express models). I would strongly suggest sending it to Remington.

I have an 870 Express Magnum with the 18" barrel and 6+1 capacity (from the factory). It had the same type of problem as yours with lots of different types and brands of ammo. It was the most unreliable gun I have ever owned. It took me a long time to conclude that it was the gun and not me or the ammo.

I finally took it to an authorized Remington repair/service place and they did a lot of work to it. Unfortunately, it was more than a year old so, it was out of warranty and I had to pay for it. I think the problem was a rough chamber finish or burr or something like that. It must have been subtle because, I had checked before and I could never feel it when I had it apart.

Joe Mamma

[Lupine]

Lovely.

Well, my friend took it apart and couldn't find anything obvious. I did swap out my Federal for Remingon--he's got a Mossy that eats anything and I already know that (so far) the Remington shells work well with this particular gun.

Nor do I like the idea of having to send a brand-new firearm back to the factory two weeks after purchase. I'm going to try and get the guys at the shop to take it back, but it's not in my budget right now to upgrade to a better model/version.

Grrr.

[Nippy]

Darn, best of luck to you. Hopefully the guys at the shop will exchange it but it could just be those Federal shells.

[Lupine]

Well, my neighbor convinced me it should be okay. I told him I'll trust his opinion, and if he's wrong, he'll have to trade me his Mossy.